Quality assurance programs in ethanol plant labs is the primary and most immediate feedback tool for monitoring plant efficiencies and internal practices, but only when procedural accuracy and precision are in place and working right.
The iconic variability-reduction system developed by Motorola in the 1980s is helping several U.S. ethanol plants and industry service providers boost operational performance and improve their bottom line results.
Rex American Resources Corp. has released its financial results for the third quarter of 2013, reporting a gross profit increase of 386 percent compared to the same period of last year. The company holds ownership interest in seven ethanol plants.
Ineos Bio has provided an update on the operations at its Indian River BioEnergy Center, reporting the facility has made significant operational progress and is steadily moving towards stable operations in 2014.
The Oshkosh, Wis.-based Fox River Valley Ethanol plant has resumed operations. Ace Ethanol LLC purchased the 52 MMgy plant from Utica Energy LLC in August. The facility had been idle since September 2012.
Enerkem has announced that commissioning is gradually beginning at its full-scale municipal waste-to-biofuels and chemicals facility in Edmonton. This update was shared by Enerkem CEO Vincent Chornet at the Canadian Renewable Fuels Summit.
The Federal Trade Commission has published its annual report on the status of domestic ethanol production, noting that 158 firms are either producing ethanol or are likely to begin producing ethanol in the next 12 to 18 months.
Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. has announced that it completed the acquisition of two 110 MMgy ethanol plants previously owned by BioFuel Energy Corp. The plants are located in Wood River, Neb., and Fairmont, Minn.
New and innovative technologies can mean significant energy, labor and parts savings for ethanol facilities aiming for greater profitability. Heat exchanger maintenance is one area producers can work to be more cost efficient.
Abengoa has released its financial results for the third quarter, reporting continuing improvements in its bioenergy division. Ethanol margins have improved and the company announced plans to begin cellulosic production in early 2014.
The Andersons Inc. has released third quarter financial results, reporting record quarterly and year-to-date operating income for the its ethanol segment, which realized operating income of $10.9 million for the quarter on revenues of $213 million.
Douglas Tiffany, assistant extension professor at the University of Minnesota, discussed the economics of co-locating torrefaction, ethanol and coal power plants at the University of North Dakota on Nov. 6.
Adkins Energy LLC, a 48 MMgy ethanol plant located in Lena, Ill., is poised to begin construction on a 2 MMgy co-located biodiesel plant, which will utilize the distillers corn oil separated at the ethanol plant as a biodiesel feedstock.
An ethanol plant commodity manager talks about his career path and current job at an Iowa production facility.
Beijing Shougang LanzaTech New Energy Science & Technology Co., Ltd. has earned Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials sustainability certification for the joint venture's facility that converts waste steel mill gases to sustainable biofuels.
The Renewable Fuels Association and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway will co-host a free Ethanol Safety Seminar on Nov. 14 at the Pipestone Fire Hall in Pipestone, Minn. Afternoon and evening sessions are scheduled.
Cargill has begun operating its corn wet mill ethanol plant in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Cargill purchased the idled facility from Tate & Lyle in 2011. When completed, the Fort Dodge bio-refinery campus will also produce other biobased products.
On Nov. 5, Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire two 110 MMgy ethanol plants of BioFuel Energy Corp. from an entity composed of its lender group.
A two-week trip to help out at an African cooking fuel ethanol plant yielded some interesting experiences.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the October issue of its Monthly Energy Review, reporting that the U.S. ethanol industry produced 1.13 billion gallons of ethanol in July, up from 1.12 billion gallons the prior month.
Energentium Inc. is finalizing tests before entering into full production in a few weeks at its new 15 MMly (4 MMgy) plant in Brantford, Ontario, to recycle waste beer and soft drinks into ethanol.
Vogelbusch Biocommodities GmbH has announced the opening of a corn ethanol plant in Alejandro Roca, Argentina, that is based on its state-of-the-art technology that is designed for optimal performance in terms of primary energy and water consumption.
Earnings at Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. made a strong recovery, according to the company's third quarter report. "We believe ethanol industry fundamentals are as positive as we have seen in recent history," said Todd Becker, president and CEO.
Farmers are now harvesting and delivering cob bales for the 2014 opening of Project Liberty in Emmetsburg, Iowa. Project Liberty is Poet-DSM's 20 MMgy cellulosic bioethanol plant under construction today.
Trial testing of Enogen corn at Bonanza BioEnergy LLC has convinced Conestoga Energy Partners LLC to sign a second commercial agreement to use Syngenta's corn with enzymes built right into it at two of the three plants it manages and operates.
After being shut down and idle for more than five years, the ethanol plant in Pratt, Kan., is back in business under the ownership of Pratt Energy, a partnership between The Scoular Company and Pratt Biofuel Investors.
Edeniq Inc. has announced that Flint Hills Resources Renewables LLC will expand its use of Edeniq's Cellunator proprietary technology by installing Cellunators at two additional locations. Flint Hills already employs the process in Fairbank, Iowa.
ICM Inc. has announced that Patriot Renewable Fuels LLC of Annawan, Ill., has purchased its patent-pending Selective Milling Technology, a value-added ICM platform technology that increases ethanol yield, reduces viscosity and increases oil recovery.
After the drought of 2012, ethanol producers saw a strong increase in grind margins, better ethanol netbacks and decreased feedstock costs in the first two quarters of 2013, according to a recently Christianson & Associates PLLP report.
Pacific Ethanol Inc., a marketer and producer of low-carbon renewable fuels in the Western United States, has begun commercial production of corn oil at its Stockton, Calif., plant.
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